michael strogoff-第58章

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The　two　correspondents　came　on　board；　and　Nadia　saw　them　take
their　places　in　the　forepart　of　the　raft。　　Harry　Blount　was　still
the　reserved　Englishman；　who　had　scarcely　addressed　a　word　to　her
during　the　whole　passage　over　the　Ural　Mountains。　　Alcide　Jolivet
seemed　to　be　rather　more　grave　than　usual；　and　it　may　be　acknowledged
that　his　gravity　was　justified　by　the　circumstances。

Jolivet　had；　as　has　been　said；　taken　his　seat　on　the　raft；
when　he　felt　a　hand　laid　on　his　arm。　　Turning；　he　recognized　Nadia；
the　sister　of　the　man　who　was　no　longer　Nicholas　Korpanoff；
but　Michael　Strogoff；　Courier　of　the　Czar。　　He　was　about　to　make
an　exclamation　of　surprise　when　he　saw　the　young　girl　lay　her
finger　on　her　lips。

〃Come；〃　said　Nadia。　　And　with　a　careless　air；　Alcide　rose
and　followed　her；　making　a　sign　to　Blount　to　accompany　him。

But　if　the　surprise　of　the　correspondents　had　been　great　at　meeting
Nadia　on　the　raft　it　was　boundless　when　they　perceived　Michael　Strogoff；
whom　they　had　believed　to　be　no　longer　living。

Michael　had　not　moved　at　their　approach。　　Jolivet　turned　towards
the　girl。　　〃He　does　not　see　you；　gentlemen；〃　said　Nadia。　　〃The　Tartars
have　burnt　out　his　eyes！　　My　poor　brother　is　blind！〃

A　feeling　of　lively　compassion　exhibited　itself　on　the　faces　of　Blount
and　his　companion。　　In　a　moment　they　were　seated　beside　Michael；
pressing　his　hand　and　waiting　until　he　spoke　to　them。

〃Gentlemen；〃　said　Michael；　in　a　low　voice；　〃you　ought　not　to　know　who
I　am；　nor　what　I　am　come　to　do　in　Siberia。　　I　ask　you　to　keep　my　secret。
Will　you　promise　me　to　do　so？〃

〃On　my　honor；〃　answered　Jolivet。

〃On　my　word　as　a　gentleman；〃　added　Blount。

〃Good；　gentlemen。〃

〃Can　we　be　of　any　use　to　you？〃　asked　Harry　Blount。　　〃Could　we
not　help　you　to　accomplish　your　task？〃

〃I　prefer　to　act　alone；〃　replied　Michael。

〃But　those　blackguards　have　destroyed　your　sight；〃　said　Alcide。

〃I　have　Nadia；　and　her　eyes　are　enough　for　me！〃

In　half　an　hour　the　raft　left　the　little　port　of　Livenitchnaia；
and　entered　the　river。　　It　was　five　in　the　evening　and　getting　dusk。
The　night　promised　to　be　dark　and　very　cold　also；　for　the　temperature
was　already　below　zero。

Alcide　and　Blount；　though　they　had　promised　to　keep　Michael's　secret；
did　not　leave　him。　　They　talked　in　a　low　voice；　and　the
blind　man；　adding　what　they　told　him　to　what　he　already　knew；
was　able　to　form　an　exact　idea　of　the　state　of　things。
It　was　certain　that　the　Tartars　had　actually　invested　Irkutsk；
and　that　the　three　columns　had　effected　a　junction。
There　was　no　doubt　that　the　Emir　and　Ivan　Ogareff　were
before　the　capital。

But　why　did　the　Czar's　courier　exhibit　such　haste　to　get　there；
now　that　the　Imperial　letter　could　no　longer　be　given　by　him　to
the　Grand　Duke；　and　when　he　did　not　even　know　the　contents　of　it？
Alcide　Jolivet　and　Blount　could　not　understand　it　any　more　than
Nadia　had　done。

No　one　spoke　of　the　past；　except　when　Jolivet　thought　it　his　duty
to　say　to　Michael；　〃We　owe　you　some　apology　for　not　shaking　hands
with　you　when　we　separated　at　Ichim。〃

〃No；　you　had　reason　to　think　me　a　coward！〃

〃At　any　rate；〃　added　the　Frenchman；　〃you　knouted　the　face　of　that
villain　finely；　and　he　will　carry　the　mark　of　it　for　a　long　time！〃

〃No；　not　a　long　time！〃　replied　Michael　quietly。

Half　an　hour　after　leaving　Livenitchnaia；　Blount　and　his　companion
were　acquainted　with　the　cruel　trials　through　which　Michael　and　his
companion　had　successively　passed。　　They　could　not　but　heartily　admire
his　energy；　which　was　only　equaled　by　the　young　girl's　devotion。
Their　opinion　of　Michael　was　exactly　what　the　Czar　had　expressed
at　Moscow：　　〃Indeed；　this　is　a　Man！〃

The　raft　swiftly　threaded　its　way　among　the　blocks　of　ice
which　were　carried　along　in　the　current　of　the　Angara。　　A　moving
panorama　was　displayed　on　both　sides　of　the　river；　and；　by　an
optical　illusion；　it　appeared　as　if　it　was　the　raft　which
was　motionless　before　a　succession　of　picturesque　scenes。
Here　were　high　granite　cliffs；　there　wild　gorges；
down　which　rushed　a　torrent；　sometimes　appeared　a　clearing
with　a　still　smoking　village；　then　thick　pine　forests　blazing。
But　though　the　Tartars　had　left　their　traces　on　all　sides；
they　themselves　were　not　to　be　seen　as　yet；　for　they　were　more
especially　massed　at　the　approaches　to　Irkutsk。

All　this　time　the　pilgrims　were　repeating　their　prayers　aloud；
and　the　old　boatman；　shoving　away　the　blocks　of　ice　which　pressed
too　near　them；　imperturbably　steered　the　raft　in　the　middle
of　the　rapid　current　of　the　Angara。


CHAPTER　XI　BETWEEN　TWO　BANKS

BY　eight　in　the　evening；　the　country；　as　the　state　of　the　sky
had　foretold；　was　enveloped　in　complete　darkness。　　The　moon　being　new　had
not　yet　risen。　　From　the　middle　of　the　river　the　banks　were　invisible。
The　cliffs　were　confounded　with　the　heavy；　low…hanging　clouds。
At　intervals　a　puff　of　wind　came　from　the　east；　but　it　soon　died　away
in　the　narrow　valley　of　the　Angara。

The　darkness　could　not　fail　to　favor　in　a　considerable　degree
the　plans　of　the　fugitives。　　Indeed；　although　the　Tartar　outposts
must　have　been　drawn　up　on　both　banks；　the　raft　had　a　good　chance
of　passing　unperceived。　　It　was　not　likely　either　that　the　besiegers
would　have　barred　the　river　above　Irkutsk；　since　they　knew　that　the
Russians　could　not　expect　any　help　from　the　south　of　the　province。
Besides　this；　before　long　Nature　would　herself　establish　a　barrier；
by　cementing　with　frost　the　blocks　of　ice　accumulated　between
the　two　banks。

Perfect　silence　now　reigned　on　board　the　raft。　　The　voices
of　the　pilgrims　were　no　longer　heard。　　They　still　prayed；
but　their　prayer　was　but　a　murmur；　which　could　not　reach　as　far
as　either　bank。　　The　fugitives　lay　flat　on　the　platform；
so　that　the　raft　was　scarcely　above　the　level　of　the　water。
The　old　boatman　crouched　down　forward　among　his　men；
solely　occupied　in　keeping　off　the　ice　blocks；　a　maneuver
which　was　performed　without　noise。

The　drifting　of　the　ice　was　a　favorable　circumstance　so　long　as　it
did　not　offer　an　insurmountable　obstacle　to　the　passage　of　the　raft。
If　that　object　had　been　alone　on　the　water；　it　would　have　run
a　risk　of　being　seen；　even　in　the　darkness；　but；　as　it　was；
it　was　confounded　with　these　moving　masses；　of　all　shapes　and　sizes；
and　the　tumult　caused　by　the　crashing　of　the　blocks　against　each
other　concealed　likewise　any　suspicious　noises。

There　was　a　sharp　frost。　　The　fugitives　suffered　cruelly；
having　no　other　shelter　than　a　few　branches　of　birch。
They　cowered　down　together；　endeavoring　to　keep　each　other　warm；
the　temperature　being　now　ten　degrees　below　freezing　point。
The　wind；　though　slight；　having　passed　over　the　snow…clad
mountains　of　the　east；　pierced　them　through　and　through。

Michael　and　Nadia；　lying　in　the　afterpart　of　the　raft；
bore　this　increase　of　suffering　without　complaint。
Jolivet　and　Blount；　placed　near　them；　stood　these　first　assaults
of　the　Siberian　winter　as　well　as　they　could。　　No　one　now　spoke；
even　in　a　low　voice。　　Their　situation　entirely　absorbed　them。
At　any　moment　an　incident　might　occur；　which　they　could
not　escape　unscathed。

For　a　man　who　hoped　soon　to　accomplish　his　mission；
Michael　was　singularly　calm。　　Even　in　the　gravest　conjunctures；
his　energy　had　never　abandoned　him。　　He　already　saw　the　moment
when　he　would　be　at　last　allowed　to　think　of　his　mother；　of　Nadia；
of　himself！　　He　now　only　dreaded　one　final　unhappy　chance；
this　was；　that　the　raft　might　be　completely　barred　by　ice　before
reaching　Irkutsk。　　He　thought　but　of　this；　determined　beforehand；
if　necessary；　to　attempt　some　bold　stroke。

Restored　by　a　few　hours'　rest；　Nadia　had　regained　the　physical　energy
which　misery　had　sometimes　overcome；　although　without　ever　having
shaken　her　moral　energy。　　She　thought；　too；　that　if　Michael　had　to　make
any　fresh　effort　to　attain　his　end；　she　must　be　there　to　guide　him。
But　in　proportion　as　she　drew　nearer　to　Irkutsk；　the　image　of　her
father　rose　more　and　more　clearly　before　her　mind。　　She　saw　him　in
the　invested　town；　far　from　those　he　loved；　but；　as　she　never　doubted；
struggling　against　the　invaders　with　all　the　spirit　of　his　patriotism。